World's Most Outrageous Construction Projects

Shawn Conner | Image: Imre Solt

 

Charting the world's construction projects with the biggest scope and the price tags to match.

From the great pyramids of Egypt to the temples of the Aztecs to the detoxification of Charlie Sheen, man has never shied away from undertaking huge, near-impossible projects.

In the still-young 21st century, this means taller, longer, and with more shopping.

The following list of the world’s largest construction projects was compiled based on environmental impact, cost, and sheer epic scope. Many were planned and started before the worldwide economic recession; some are paying the price, while others may not have been such a bright idea in the first place. If you don’t look too closely, a few of these massive undertakings even seem designed to benefit humanity.

One thing is for sure – they all seem like a massive headache for everyone concerned.

 

Image: Flickr / elqomri

9. Burj Khalifa: The Dubai Tower

HOW MUCH?
US$1.5 billion.
WHAT IS IT?
At 2,717 feet (828 metres) tall the Burj Khalifa, or Burj Dubai, is the world’s tallest building. Construction began in 2004 and ended last year; the skyscraper houses office space and residencies.
THE DOWNSIDE?
The Burj Khalifa’s construction coincided with the global financial crisis, and the government was forced to borrow from its neighbour Abu Dhabi. Like the Olympic Village in Vancouver, a majority of the residences remain vacant. 

 

Image: Flickr / Vincent Desjardins

8. New York City: One World Trade Center

HOW MUCH?
US$3.1 billion.
WHAT IS IT?
One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the U.S. and the main edifice of the new World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan. Construction on the new office building began in 2006 and is expected to be completed by 2012, and ready for occupancy the following year. As you might expect, nearly everything about this building, which is also a memorial to 9/11, has been controversial, including the name; some were referring to it as “the Freedom Tower” but it is now officially One World Trade Center.
THE DOWNSIDE?
Some might wonder whether another towering office building is what’s needed in the area. These people would be left-wing, bleeding-heart wimps.

 

Image: Flickr / stepnout

7. Dubai: Dubailand

HOW MUCH?
Dubai has collected US$6 billion from private investors . . . and that’s just for Phase I (four phases of development are planned).
WHAT IS IT?
Hey, Dubai! Quit showing off! We get it already, you’re an oil-rich country and you don’t know what to do with all that money. But would it kill you to be a little more discreet? At three billion square feet, this is the largest collection of theme parks in the world.
Dubailand is part of Dubai’s effort to diversity from an oil-based economy and expand its tourism industry. When – and if – it is ever completed, the project will include a Legoland, Dreamworks Studios Theme Park, Marvel Superheroes Theme Park and Tiger Woods Dubai (a proposed Tiger Woods-designed golf course and residential development), among other entertainment options.
THE DOWNSIDE?
North American comic-book fans will have to travel thousands of miles to get to the Marvel Superheroes Theme Park.

 

Image: Flickr / antonello_mangano

6. Italy: Strait of Messina Bridge

HOW MUCH?
US$8 billion, including cover charges, two-drink minimums, and “tips.”
WHAT IS IT?
A 3.3-kilometre bridge linking Sicily to the Italian mainland.
THE DOWNSIDE?
The on-again, off-again, on-again project has been plagued with controversy, including fears that much of the money would be diverted to the Sicilian and Calabrian mafias, which control most public works projects in the south of Italy. Prime Minister Berlusconi denies this is the case, saying that if any money is diverted it will be to the country’s population of 18-year-old nightclub dancers.

 

Image: Flickr / SheepGuardingLlama

5. Las Vegas: CityCenter

HOW MUCH?
US$9.2 billion.

WHAT IS IT?
At 16,797,000-square-feet, CityCenter is the largest privately funded construction project in U.S. history. This multi-use plaza ate up the last remaining real estate on the Las Vegas strip. MGM Resorts International began the project – described as “a city within a city” with its hotels, casinos, retail and dining and entertainment facilities – and investment fund Dubai World became an equal partner in an effort. Because the Vegas strip wasn’t gaudy enough.
THE DOWNSIDE?
Since construction began in 2006, six construction workers have died, making CityCenter one of the most lethal projects this side of Spider Man on Broadway.

 

Image: Flickr / Imre Solt

4. Dubai: The World

HOW MUCH?
US$18 billion, according to a 2005 estimate.
WHAT IS IT?
“The World” is a reproduction of the Earth made out of islands. But why make it? If you’re the ruler of Dubai the question is more like, “Why not?” It was Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum’s idea to construct a rough shape of the world map using artificial islands, which would then be sold for development (resorts, etc.). The thing is, according to Wikipedia, The World is just “one of several artificial island developments in Dubai,” begging the question of just what it is they’re smoking over there.
THE DOWNSIDE?
As of last year, only a single island had any type of building on it – a show home. All the other projects having been cancelled or delayed either due to the 2008 financial crisis or people coming to their senses. And, while the developer and Dubai government deny it, a participant in a related lawsuit has alleged that the islands are also sinking back into the sea.

 

Image: Flickr / slumber.six

3. Soundouping, China: Three Gorges Dam

HOW MUCH?
Over US$22.5 billion by the time the last farmer is displaced.
WHAT IS IT?
The world’s largest hydroelectric power station. When completed in 2012, Three Gorges Dam will supply 10 per cent of China’s energy. The dam also increases the Yangtze River’s shipping capacity and reduces both coal consumption and the potential for flooding.
THE DOWNSIDE?
The dam flooded archaeological and cultural sites and displaced 1.3 million people. It is also causing significant ecological changes, including an increase in the risk of landslides. On the plus side, when the project is completed, workers making Gap clothing for 12 cents per hour will be able to see what they’re doing.

 

Image: Flickr / lee_in_the_sun

2. Abu Dhabi: Yas Island

HOW MUCH?
US$40 billion.
WHAT IS IT?
A 25-square-mile island resort with a Formula One racetrack, an arena, theme parks (Ferrari World, Warner Bros), three golf courses, polo fields, hotels (seven and counting) and just about anything else you care to name, including an IKEA.
The idea was announced in 2006, and developer Aldar Properties completed Phase I in 2008. Perhaps Aldar, an Abu Dhabi company, felt the need to compete with Dubai, Abu Dhabi’s showier neighbour to the north. There’s no end in sight for the entire project, though 2014 and 2018 have been suggested.

THE DOWNSIDE?
To protect the island’s surrounding ecosystem, Aldar has pledged “support to Emirates Wildlife Society,” plant mangroves and monitor water quality. And we all know how eco-friendly Formula One racetracks are.

 

Image: Flickr / NASAGoddard Photo & Video

1. Outer Space: ISS (International Space Station)

HOW MUCH?
Over $100 billion, making it the most expensive object ever constructed – after Michael Jackson’s nose.
WHAT IS IT?
A space station. Forget about earthbound construction projects and farmers schlepping dirt away to make canals. Sixteen nations have banded together in constructing the ISS in low-earth orbit, where teams of astronauts research cool stuff and eat food out of tubes. In-orbit construction on the ISS began in 1998 and completion is scheduled for the end of this year; it will remain operational until at least 2015.
THE DOWNSIDE?
Critics contend that the time and money spent on the ISS could be better spent on other projects, like robotic spacecraft missions, space exploration, or sending James Cameron to Mars.

A day at the 787 Dreamliner assembly line

by Daniel Terdiman

from:  http://news.cnet.com/

A look out at the 787 Dreamliner assembly line in the giant Boeing plant in Everett, Washington.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)

 

EVERETT, Wash.--The 787 Dreamliner program may be three years behind schedule and battling a legacy of delays, but that isn't stopping Boeing from building the next-generation airplanes one after another.
Yesterday, as the last act of a three-day media extravaganza timed to Boeing's Sunday unveiling of the 747-8 Intercontinental, I got a chance to take a first-hand look at the Dreamliner assembly line.

By now, the story of the 787 is well-chronicled. Originally unveiled on July 8, 2007, (07/08/07) the plane was supposed to take its first flight later that year and begin carrying passengers in the spring of 2008. But one delay after another, caused by mechanical problems, work stoppages, supplier slowdowns, and even an on-board fire, has to date kept the all-new plane out of the hands of Boeing's carrier customers.

The making of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner (photos)

But it has made its first flight--as well as many subsequent flights--and in a media briefing today, Scott Fancher, the vice president and general manager of the 787 program, reiterated what Boeing has said previously: that it will hand the plane over to its launch customer, All Nippon Airways, sometime in the third quarter of this year.

All that drama aside, as an airplane nut, it was a lot of fun to get a chance to see the 787 assembly line in person. For one thing, there's nothing like seeing industrial production on the scale of Boeing's Everett plant--said to be the largest building in the world, by volume. For another, because of its advanced body--made from composite materials rather than metal--seeing the 787 in its unfinished form is downright cool.

Rather than having the standard brushed metal look common to other in-progress Boeing planes, the Dreamliner fuselage comes delivered to Everett--via the gargantuan custom cargo 747 known as the Dreamlifter--with a pristine glossy white primer. That makes the plane look clean and promising in a way that the others that I've seen in progress in Everett haven't.

But that's neither here nor there. As Boeing moves toward putting the Dreamliner in the hands of ANA and other carrier customers--including Air India, for which one of the planes I saw was being built--it's an important sign that it is turning the planes out at a rate of two aircraft a month.

The company line is that Boeing will build between 25 and 40 747-8 Intercontinentals and Dreamliners this year, split roughly 50/50. But Fancher explained that by late 2013, when the aviation giant's new South Carolina assembly plant is up and running, it will be turning out 10 787s a month.

For now, though, with the plane still in testing, the planes coming off the line aren't going anywhere. Indeed, until they're certified for flying passengers, Boeing isn't even building out their interiors or putting engines on them. That's because that work, and that gear, is expensive, and the company feels it is better to simply stockpile the planes in Everett--where it currently has 24 Dreamliners sitting on various tarmacs--until certification. At that point, it shouldn't take too long to get the planes ready for delivery, though Fancher wouldn't specify precisely how long.

Position zero
As it is currently laid out, the Dreamliner assembly line takes up a single, albeit huge, bay in the Everett plant. When the giant fuselage barrels--because they are made from composite materials, the fuselage is not comprised of body panels but rather complete tube-shaped sections--come off the Dreamlifter, they are transported into the plant via a massive door.

All Dreamliner parts are first placed in what is called "position zero," where they will sit for 24 hours to ensure that they can all adjust to the temperature. Next up is "position one," where all the major parts are structurally joined. Then it's on to "position two," where the landing gears are added, making it possible for the young Dreamliners to proceed ahead on their own wheels.

On any given day, then, Boeing has four Dreamliners under construction, one each at position one, position two, position three, and, yes, position four. As you might expect, each successive position means more progress toward completion.

According to Fancher, Boeing is 80 percent through certification testing on its 787 Rolls-Royce engine configuration and about 60 percent through on certification testing for its General Electric engines. To date, Boeing has seven Dreamliners flying in its test program, and the company received over the weekend equipment needed for testing fixes to the power panel that caused the fire aboard one of the planes in November.

And while some may be skeptical of Boeing's ability to get the 787 in customers' hands, Fancher said the company is "on track" to meet its current third-quarter plan.
For now, then, Dreamliner enthusiasts will have to keep on waiting for their first ride. But for those lucky enough to get to visit the plane's assembly line here, that wait is just a little bit easier.

Time Lapse Video Shows Work on 9/11 Memorial

By KARI PATEY
From: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/

Those going down to Ground Zero for the 9/11 memorial services may notice just how much the area has changed in the last year.

To see how much work is done down there in just one day, an MSNBC.com photojournalist documented 24 hours of manpower on the site.

John Makely set up five cameras to illustrate the vast construction project.

His time-lapse video combines more than 10,000 separate images.

House Built From Hemp Is Full Of Green Surprises

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto

from http://www.treehugger.com/

All images from Push House

In much of the world, hemp is thought of as a useful building material; Warren recently showed us an interesting house from Australia and it is common in the UK. But in America, it is still the butt of hippie jokes; Matt Hickman of the Mother Nature Networks describes a new house in Asheville, North Carolina with references to Tommy Chong and describes the interior: "there's not a blacklight poster, hanging spider plant, or crumpled up Cheetos bag in sight." Discovery News says "Put aside old visions of burlap-like shirts that belong with hacky sacks." Even the owner tells CNN ""We heard that we could have a really great neighborhood party if it ever caught on fire."

It's a shame that everyone is focusing on that, because it is just one interesting product in a fascinating house that is full of surprises.

Forming the walls- the black is formwork, on both sides of the structural wood frame

Push Design is a "Design firm with a focus on non-toxic/chemical free + clean air; living and working environments," and Anthony Breener appears to have looked at, and questioned, every single material in the house, from the foundations up.

Better Than Zero Carbon

The exterior walls that are getting all the sniggers are made from Hemcrete, a mix of British hemp stems that is grown without agrichemicals, and processed without a lot of energy and no toxic products. It it is chopped and graded and mixed with a binder made from hydrated lime. It sequesters 110 kilograms of carbon dioxide per cubic meter of material. The supplier, American Lime Technology, explains that industrial hemp won't get you high:

Henry VIII passed a law requiring all farms over 60 acres to grow hemp to satify his naval requirements. However by the mid 20th century the growing of hemp was outlawed because of its narcotic content (cannabis). The narcotic content has been selectively bred out of the industrial crop and the first licences for industrial grade hemp farming were issued by the UK Government in 1993.

Interior of exposed hemcrete

The stuff isn't structural, so the house has a wood frame, but it is a great insulator and sound absorbent, and will give a complete seal. It's neat stuff; it is a shame that it has to be imported from the UK because American attitudes to hemp are so silly. That is why all the sniggering and bad jokes make me so cranky; it deserves better.

More at Push House and more on other neat green features of the house tomorrow.

Hemp wall detail

More Hemp:
The Whole Hemp House
Potential First U.S. Hemp Farmer Gets Fingerprinted

The 20 Worst Construction Fails (PICS)

heavy.com — Construction is hard, and failing at it is hilarious.

The Johnsons loved having coffee on their new balcony. On the first morning at least.

Unfortunately, Flordia law makes it illegal to disturb a palm tree in any way.

Click here for the Full Gallery: http://www.heavy.com/comedy/2010/08/the-20-worst-construction-fails/

Top 10: Crazy Construction Projects

By Norman Brown

Entertainment Correspondent

Architects and engineers are artists in their own way; they are constantly pushing the limits of construction, defying the odds and laws of gravity in order to create structures that serve more than just a functional purpose. These structures become landmarks and statements of accomplishment to the world. From the pyramids of Egypt to the Empire State Building, this race to reach the heavens has been going on for centuries and continues today.

This installment of the Top 10 features all sorts of construction projects -- not just skyscrapers -- that are either in the process of being completed or for which the plans have been finalized.

Check out what the future holds for these impressive, colossal and often record-breaking projects.

Note: All amounts of money are in U.S. dollars.

Number 10

The Big Dig – Boston, Massachusetts

One of the most aggressive and intensive urban projects in North America, the Big Dig set out to remedy Boston's infamous congestion problem. The six-lane Central Artery highway had carried commuters since the 1950s, but when traffic became jammed for 10 hours a day in the '80s, city and state governments decided to completely overhaul the downtown infrastructure.

The project built two bridges, a tunnel and, most amazingly of all, it destroyed the Central Artery and built an even wider highway underground. Over 5,000 workers contributed to the Big Dig, laying the 7.5 miles and eight to 10 lanes of highway, pouring the 3.8 million cubic yards of concrete and displacing 16 million cubic yards of soil.

Trivia: The project created more than 300 acres of new parks and open areas in the Boston region.

Number 9

Queen Mary 2

The largest passenger ship ever built, the QM2 is basically a floating city. Replete with a casino, a nightclub, a spa, a wine bar, 15 restaurants and bars, a library, and even a planetarium -- this ship makes the Titanic look like a kayak. The liner, which can carry more than 2,620 passengers, took almost a year and a half to build and made its maiden voyage on January 12, 2004.

A huge ship to say the least, QM2 weighs 151,400 gross tons, generates 157,000 horsepower and cost an astounding $800 million to construct. Those interested in taking a vacation on this hulk should expect to shell out at least $1,499 for a six-day transatlantic trip.

Trivia: At 1,132 feet, the Queen Mary 2 is more than twice as long as the Washington Monument is tall, and is 147 feet longer than the Eiffel Tower.

Number 8

Beijing Airport - Beijing, China

Part of Beijing's massive infrastructure overhaul for the 2008 Olympics includes the construction of what is to be the world's biggest airport. Englishman Sir Norman Foster, who designed current world-record holder Hong Kong International Airport, submitted plans for this new gateway to China's capital in late 2003, and plans continued to develop throughout 2004.

The Chinese government has toyed with the idea of scaling back the grandiose project, which is set to take three years to complete, in an effort to quell its image as a showboat. But if Lord Foster has anything to say about it, this $2 billion airport will be a real humdinger.

Trivia: The proposed roof of the airport covers an amazing 80 acres.

The world's highest bridge, an amazing construction project in the sea, and more...

Number 7

Millau Viaduct - Millau, France

The same man behind the construction of Beijing's new airport put his mark on France as well, designing what is now the world's tallest bridge. Spanning the Tarn River in southern France, the Millau Viaduct's seven pillars burst from the gorge below. At its highest, the bridge reaches 1,122 feet, which is 53 feet higher than the Eiffel Tower. The bridge is approximately 1.6 miles long.

The Viaduct took three and a half years to complete, is part of the A75 route that links northern Europe to the Mediterranean, and opened with much fanfare on December 14, 2004. It cost $523 million, used two billion tons of concrete and metal, and thankfully comes with a 120-year guarantee.

Trivia: The Millau Bridge is so large it can be seen from space.

Number 6

Freedom Tower - New York City

After considering several bids, the New York government agreed on a compromise between two world-renowned architects' plans to rebuild the World Trade Center site. Daniel Libeskind and David Childs designed Freedom Tower, a 1,776-foot skyscraper whose height commemorates the year of American independence.

Beginning construction on April 27, 2006, the immense structure will have 73 stories: the first 70 will be used for office space and the top three for restaurants and an observation deck. Estimated to cost $12 billion and to be completed by 2009, Freedom Tower and its 276-foot spire will surpass Taipei Tower, currently the world's tallest building.

Trivia: A cable suspension structure supporting Freedom Tower will hold wind turbines, which will provide 20% of the building's energy needs.

Number 5

The World - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Truly a mind-boggling project, Nakheel Developments thought outside the box for its latest large-scale development in Dubai. Two and a half miles offshore from the booming Middle Eastern city is a slew of manmade islands that don't look like much yet, as construction only started in September 2003.

However, if you look down on the project from the sky when it's completed in 2008, you'll see a replica of the Earth laid out in the sea. Made of 300 islands of various sizes, the $3 billion project recreates the world map and offers business and residential buyers entire islands, which range from $6.85 million to $36 million. Malls, office buildings, mansions, and parks will adorn the islands, which will be 50 meters to 100 meters apart and will cover a total of 5.6 miles.

Trivia: Rod Stewart is apparently looking into purchasing the United Kingdom property for a cool $33.4 million.

Number 4

Hangzhou Bay Bridge - Cixi and Jiaxing, China

Most bridges cross rivers and lakes; there aren't too many that cross a whole sea. Hangzhou Bay Bridge is a 22.5-mile crossing that will connect the cities of Cixi and Jiaxing, in Zhejiang province in eastern China.

Connecting previously remote cities on China's economically-prosperous east coast, the six-lane S-shaped bridge will rank as the world's longest sea-crossing span. The cost of the bridge, set to be completed in 2008, topped $1.42 billion.

Trivia: The Hangzhou Bay Bridge is so long that the contractors built a service island in the middle, where commuters can stop for food and gas.

The world's tallest structure, a project in space, and the most mind-boggling construction feat ever...

Number 3

Burj Dubai - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

As Dubai sets out to become a world-leading business hub, it is building an infrastructure beyond compare. Burj Dubai will smash records as the world's tallest structure: at 2,650 feet, it is 874 feet taller than New York's proposed Freedom Tower and 835 feet taller than Toronto's CN Tower.

Burj Dubai's 160 floors will have office space, residential apartments, hotels, and a huge shopping mall. Its unique three-sided structure serves to negate powerful winds at its near half-mile height and also represents a creative design that will dominate the Dubai landscape once it's completed in 2008, at a cost of $8 billion.

Trivia: To avoid swaying, the three-sided Burj Dubai is built around a core, which gets smaller and smaller as the building ascends.

Number 2

International Space Station (ISS)

Sixteen nations contributed to the decade-long effort to create a humongous floating base above Earth, considered the biggest cooperative science project in history. When the ISS is complete, over 80 flights will have been made to the station, each adding another important element to the incredible construction feat.

More than four times the size of Russia's Mir station, the ISS will weigh more than one million pounds, boast almost an acre of solar panels, and be 356-feet across and 290-feet long. Development, assembly and daily running costs are estimated to be more than $130 billion.

Trivia: The ISS hosted both the first space tourist -- Dennis Tito, who paid $20 million for the visit -- and the first space wedding, between astronaut Yuri Malenchenko and Ekaterina Dmitriev, who was in Texas.

Number 1

Three Gorges Dam - Sandouping, Yichang, China

Try to picture a structure one and a half miles wide, 600 feet tall and capable of creating a water reservoir that is 400 miles long. China's Three Gorges Dam project is a massive, 16-year undertaking that aims to halt the Yangtze River floods, which have claimed more than a million lives in the past century.

Halting the strong waters of the world's third longest river is no easy task, which explains the estimated $24.65 billion bill -- which some say could end up being three times as much -- and the almost two-decade-long effort that began in 1993. When completed, the dam's 26 generators are expected to create the equivalent power of 18 nuclear power plants. For six months of the year, 10,000-ton ships will be able to sail inland to the city of Chongqing, creating a huge business center in China's Sichuan province.

Trivia: The Three Gorges Dam project is expected to displace at least 1.2 million people.

pushing the engineering envelope

Record-holders or not, these 10 structures will make their mark. They serve as boastful statements to the world, defying expectations and possibilities. For now, they are the some of the most impressive construction projects in the world, but in 10 years, there will surely be 10 even more impressive structures underway to replace them.

Resources:
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www.cunard.com
http://en.wikipedia.org - Queen Mary 2
http://en.wikipedia.org - Burj Dubai
http://en.wikipedia.org - ISS
www.cnn.com
www.cnn.com - Three Gorges Dam
www.industrie.gouv.fr
www.viaducdemillaueiffage.com
http://news.bbc.co.uk
http://msnbc.msn.com
www.hellomagazine.com
www.findaproperty.co.uk
www.conway.com
www.newscientist.com
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